Mostly Money

Our subject wishes to remain anonymous, so any information that I think could identify her will be withheld, including the birth data. Here is the natal chart:

This chart was previously delineated by another astrologer here.

I'm not going to do a full natal report here because that's not what the client requested. I'm just going to point out a few details that catch my eye. 

First, our client was born under the sign of Capricorn. I think it was astrologer Jeanne Avery from whom I learned the most interesting thing I know about Capricorns: they didn't want to be born. And the reason I believe this is correct is that I had a sister who was Capricorn, and her birth was a month overdue. When the time came, she dug her heels in and did all she could to prevent it. Consequently, she was pulled out with forceps and her soft little skull was disfigured. Her head was shaped like an egg, and she worked her whole life to hide it, which she did as exceedingly well as she did everything else. (They must have pulled me out by my butt.)

Here is a picture of my Capricorn sister at twelve-years-old with my mother and baby sister in 1966.
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There is a theory which states that before we are born, we make a plan for our physical, tangible life that is based on the lessons we need to complete while we are here. Capricorns already know coming into this life that this time around is going to be hard. It may also be possible that while in the womb they knew their mother's anxiety, and so their id is imprinted with "unwanted." Maybe she wasn't happy to be expecting, or the baby will be a financial burden, or whatever myriad of reasons there are for not wanting a child, not necessarily this child, but any child. But maybe the baby overhears the parents talking about it. This is not, after all, a baby until it is born. The souls coming into this world are adult souls with adult reasoning until they enter the infant body as the first breath is drawn. For this reason, Capricorns can be born with a complex. When they realize birth is inevitable, they decide that they will be good - very, very good - children. They will prove their worth. They will be quiet, they will not take up much room, they will not be any trouble, they will not ask for things, and they will get adolescence over with as quickly as possible. They will be responsible and mature at all times. Mother will not be sorry. They will make her proud.

Man, are they bossy. They make excellent executives and always strive to be leaders, bosses, and managers. They excel on the corporate ladder and suffer terribly if they are relegated to the lower rungs. Our client's sun is trine her ascendant, so her inner world is almost completely compatible with her outer personality. She is comfortable in her own skin. Her emotional needs may be lofty, but she's still a down-to-earth, practical and very capable woman. Her sun is strengthened by being in the house where it belongs in the natural zodiac (as is her moon in the 4th and Uranus in her 11th).

So in this chart, we take this psychological mindset and give it creativity because the sun is found in the 5th house, and what we get is a creative businesswoman. Our subject is an inventor among other things. Below is a chart for the day she received a patent on one of her inventions. I'm sorry that I can't tell you what the inventions are because it would reveal her identity, but trust me; they are good ones! I think I could safely say that at least 90% of all Americans have used one of them. I know I have.

PATENT ISSUED

The transits are cast for noon because I didn't find a time-stamp on the patent issue. The fact that the transiting midheaven and ascendant (which move approximately one degree every four minutes) are conjunct the natal ascendant and midheaven isn't at all important. What we do like, however, is that the transiting sun (ego, identity, purpose) lights up the 10th house of career, honor and public acclaim. Transiting Venus in the 10th house ensures the attention is favorable.

What stands out is that the transiting Saturn (remember this is the lord of her creative and businesslike sun) is conjunct the natal south node. There are many definitions of the moon's nodes. The south node is associated with our past and our comfort zone, but I also believe it is associated with our a priori knowledge. The natal south node is conjunct her ascendant, so she has no doubt brought much previous experience into this life.

 Transiting Mercury is retrograde, just like her natal Mercury. I think most astrologers believe Rx Mercury to always be afflicted, but I disagree. Many of my clients  have it in their chart and some of them appear to possess an almost photographic memory. There is order in their chaos. This natal Mercury makes a close sextile to natal Saturn, which gives her common sense. Retrograde planets are associated with internalization, but I would add storage and recall to the equation. They seem to absorb data like the rest of us, but then they process it differently, and out comes...let's say...a spinoff. Like a great chef, they turn their ingredients into something unique or special. Because of the limited size of blog space that requires the pictures to remain relatively small, you may not be able to tell that transiting Mercury is only one minute (not one degree, but one minute!) from an exact trine to her natal Neptune. Was receiving the patent a "dream come true" for her, literally? Had the idea come to her in a dream, vision, or other non-tangible form? With natal Neptune in the 2nd house (money and resources), it shows her idea (Mercury) had value.

Her natal Mercury is not "just" retrograde, it's stationary direct. That means it was about to assume forward motion by progression soon after her birth. This happened between February 15 and 16, right after her first birthday, so something significant happened in her life then. I haven't been able to determine exactly what it was, and don't want to lose precious time on it when we may never know because most people cannot remember being that age. However, no matter how I look at it, it involves the 4th and 8th houses (both are houses of endings), so it most likely involves the death of a family member or a change of residence (the 8th house is the 4th house of endings from the 4th house of home and family). I would like to urge her to remember that date, minus the year. I'm sure it rings a bell.

Still looking at the chart for the issue of the patent, transiting Pluto (power, transformation, creator, destroyer) trines the natal Ascendant (physical body, personality, here and now) and natal south node. It establishes our subject as the creator of this invention and gives her power over it.

This next one is interesting, too. Transiting Venus, up there in the 10th house, squares the natal north and south nodes, which lie across the ascendant / descendant axis. 
 

And in turn, the transiting nodes at 21 degrees Leo and Aquarius square the natal Venus, the ruler of her midheaven (career, reputation, public life and direction / path in life), and of course, her 3rd house of the rational mind, as well as paperwork. Squares are NOT always negative. I think that's one of the most difficult "rules" for beginning astrologers to grasp. In this case, we have transits that echo the natal aspects, and those are almost always herald an event.

Finally, the transiting moon conjuncts the natal north node which is beneficial.


BACK TO THE NATAL CHART 

Another thing I notice about the natal chart at a glance is the position of the natal moon. What a dichotomy! We have the usual Sagittarius emotional needs and outlook such as being an optimistic, enthusiastic, idealistic free spirit who requires personal freedom, opportunities to travel, and the ability to escape routine. Routine is anathema to our subject. On the other hand, the moon is in the 4th house of sticking around the homestead with family. Maybe for emotional fulfillment she needs a home in a foreign place, or likes to entertain visitors from far-away places. In any case, her home is bound to be as spacious and light as her mind.  Many people are unaware that some of history's greatest minds had the moon in Sagittarius. Their intelligence is sharp and far-sighted. 

The natal moon's nodes square her moon. That highlights issues with her mother and with women in general, as well as the home and family. This has been the oddest day for me because just before I am going to say something, someone else says it first. In this case, our client told me today about one of her ancestors and the real estate that he owned. The IC (cusp of the 4th house, opposite the midheaven) represents our families, ancestors and foundations in life. It also represents real estate. So does the moon, which is positioned in conjunction with the IC in her chart. A double whammy. And with the moon's nodes square the moon and IC, a triple whammy. Both the moon and the IC represent our childhood, ingrained habits, compulsive behavior patterns, emotional conditioning, and psychological inheritance. Our birth charts follow a family pattern. Look at the charts of everyone in your family, and you will find the same repetitions among the children, parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and so on, back and back for as far back as you can find data for them. It is almost as if the ghosts of our ancestors influence us to finish their unfinished business. We won't go into the theory of reincarnation and how we might be our ancestors reborn, because our subject doesn't believe in reincarnation. So we'll save that for another time. I will add, though, that simply because our client brought up this ancestor of hers out of the blue, and because I don't believe in coincidence, I recommend that she look deeply into his life and try to discover what it may be that he needs her to finish for him.

The nodes squaring their own hostess (they are the MOON'S nodes, after all) sets up both psychological and physical issues in life that require constant work and attention. In this case, taking care of her mother, grandmother or other family members, or the necessity of being cared for by them, can cause her to feel she's not reaching her own potential due to persistent family responsibilities (or perhaps real estate issues) that just never end.

Our client is interested in risks, chances and gambling. Of course she is, with the sun in the 5th house, which represents those things. If there's one question I am asked more than any other, it's whether or not the chart shows the potential to win the lottery. And since the Powerball jackpot was recently high, I'm sure it was on her mind as well.

Her sun is in Capricorn, which isn't really noted for its good fortune. But look closer. She has Jupiter (bigger, better, more) in the 8th house of sex, death and other people's money. That in itself is often a harbinger of inheritance. In addition, she has Uranus (sudden, unexpected, surprising) strong in the 11th house, which is also a "lucky" house when it comes to winnings. Taurus (banking and finance) is on the midheaven, showing that comfort and living well is a goal in her life. Taurus also happens to be a sign of pastoral land. There are three things every Taurus needs for emotional well-being, and that is good food, good drink, and their own land. Every bull needs some pasture.

Two other things that indicate good fortune in this chart are Chiron conjunct her sun, and the vertex in the 5th house. Let me deal with the vertex first because it's quick and simple: it is a point of fate. It's a date with destiny and of things that happen to us over which we have no control. Like the moon's nodes, it has an opposite point, which isn't added to the chart; you just have to remember it's there. The vertex is the stronger of the two.  Both usually require a conjunction to activate them. Having the vertex in the house of risks and pleasures of life is a very fortunate place to have it. Chiron is a whole other matter.


I am not a fan of placing Chiron in the chart when I can't be sure of what it represents. I'm not positive that we have nailed his meaning yet. I have researched him in hundreds of charts, but have not found an effect that I can absolutely pin on him. The best definition I have heard so far (I could kick myself for not bookmarking it, because I haven't been able to find it again) is "to teach and protect" (I would not be surprised if our client had been a schoolteacher). What does that have to do with money, gambling, lotteries, and winning? Nothing. And yet, he almost always shows up in winning charts.

Another "lucky" point in the chart is Transpluto. Don't confuse it with transiting Pluto; they are not the same. Both natal and transiting Transpluto are almost always involved in major winnings.

I had not yet answered this question when the information was volunteered, along with the proof that our client had won big money while gambling over the course of three days. I love clients who don't expect me to go searching for needles in haystacks. Again, the data is withheld to protect her privacy, but thanks to this lovely woman, we get to learn from her (and Chiron?) 

A WINNING CHART

There's so many winning indicators here, it's hard to know where to start. These are transits around the natal chart, the easiest charts for beginners to read. I'll begin with the transiting outer planets first because they are in effect the longest. 

* Transiting Pluto (extremes, big odds) had recently passed over the natal vertex (fate, destiny) in the 5th house of risks, chances, gambling, pleasures and entertainment. It was still within orb of a conjunction, but with power diminishing. Due to its back and forth retrograde / direct motion, it will continue to be in orb the rest of this year.

* Transiting Neptune conjuncted the north node just inside the cusp of the 7th house. Planets on house cusps are stronger than those in the middle of houses (usually), with those on the angles (ascendant / descendant / midheaven / IC) the strongest for good or ill. Neptune is the ruler of one of her angles (the descendant) as well as her 8th house. The 8th is the house of sex, death, and crime, but also of other people's money, funds that are pooled and redistributed, shared resources, and goods of the dead. It includes inheritance, taxes, wills and trusts, insurance, welfare, pensions, retirement accounts such as 401Ks, and lotteries. The north node (had you forgotten him already?) is considered a beneficent.

* Transiting Uranus woo hoo! is conjunct the natal Jupiter! This combination is often known as the "Thank the Lord!" aspect. There are few as lucky as this one. It shows a sudden change of fortune (usually for the better), and often indicates a windfall. And our client happens to have it placed in the 8th house (see paragraph above).

* Transiting Saturn (the ruler of our client's Capricorn sun and 5th house of gambling, remember) is trine to her natal Uranus (sudden, surprising, unexpected changes), which is in her natal 11th house. Most people think of the 11th house as that of friends, groups, associations and organizations, but because of its relationship to Uranus (it is the house of Aquarius, ruled by that planet), it is also associated with changes in fortune. Uranus is "accidentally dignified" here, which adds to its strength.


 

* Transiting Jupiter (bigger, better, more) is the planet most often associated with wealth (other than Pluto, which is the planet of crazy stupid wealth). Those in the know, and I'm guilty of this myself, look straight to it when they want to know if they're going to be lucky. And what is transiting Jupiter doing to the natal chart?  It's a degree past the sextile to its natal place (showing common sense about easy come/ easy go, perhaps) and two, almost three, degrees past a trine (ease) to the natal Part of Fortune in the 2nd house of money and resources. In astrology-speak, "so twenty minutes ago." It is a fading aspect.

Now we come to the personal planets, those that move very quickly and are like the big hand on a clock, pointing out details of time. 

* Transiting Mars at 10 degrees of Pisces makes a trine (ease) to natal Uranus (sudden, unexpected, exciting) in the 11th house (sudden, unexpected, exciting).

* Transiting Venus (love, money, happiness) trines natal Mars in the 2nd house (money and resources) and sextiles the natal Mercury (a pleasant time).

* Transiting Mercury, ruler of her ascendant (physical body, personality, and a timer - "You. Here. Now.")  as well as her  2nd house (money and resources) and co-ruler of her intercepted midheaven (public notice) is about to square its own natal position in the chart. Quick little Mercury moves about a degree a day, and so in two days, the lucky spell will end.

 

* Transiting sun at 26 Aquarius is working on a square to the natal midheaven (brings the person to public notice). It will complete the square in two days, and will contribute to the end of her luck this time around.


 

* Transiting moon is insignificant in this matter because the wins took place over a period of three days, and the moon has moved many degrees during that time. 

* Transiting north node of the moon (a beneficent) is conjunct the natal Venus (love, money, happiness). This may not be a big flashy aspect like Jupiter over Uranus, but it's important and should not be overlooked! Both transiting nodes square natal Pluto (extreme odds), the dispositor of her natal Venus. 

*Transiting vertex conjunct her natal Mercury, ruler of her ascendant, 2nd house of money, and co-ruler of her midheaven. 

* I forgot to circle it on the chart above, but this is also important. Transiting Transpluto, a hypothetical planet (say what???!) that I've seen defined as everything from self-sufficiency to perfection always seems to be part of the equation in big wins, and in this case, it conjuncts the ascendant (as the timer "You. Here. Now.") and squares the natal moon on an angle (adding strength). That natal moon rules the 11th house (sudden, unexpected, exciting).

SECONDARY PROGRESSIONS TO THE NATAL

In secondary progressions the outer planets move so slowly that they are only a degree or two from their natal positions and in most cases are not used. What we look at in these charts are the progressed midheaven and ascendant, inner planets, and most importantly, the progressed moon because it is the fastest transit, moving roughly one degree per month. It works as a timer, like the second hand on a clock that ticks off the seconds. In this chart, you can see that it is conjunct the natal north node (a beneficent).  The progressed vertex (fate, a date with destiny) is trine to natal Neptune in the 2nd house (money, resources), the ruler of the 8th house (other people's money).

WINNING TRANSITS 

TO THE SECONDARY PROGRESSED CHART

Secondary progressions indicate what is due to occur in life in the year for which they are cast. Transits for an event shown around the progressions are always telling. In the chart above, we have the transits for our client's big win shown around her secondary progressions. Notice that progressed Neptune is the ruler of the progressed 5th house of gambling and risks.

* The cusp of the 5th house of gambling and risks has arrived at a natal angle. Recall that the natal descendant is at 1 degree 06 Pisces. and the natal north node is at 2 degrees 28 Pisces and Rx. At the time of the win, the cusp of the progressed 5th house is at 3 degrees 33 Pisces and the progressed north node is at 0 Pisces 34 Rx. Transiting Neptune is at 2 Pisces 35. If I put them altogether, it looks like this: 

Bingo!

* Neptune is the ruler of the natal 8th house of other people's money and the progressed 5th house of gambling. Remember when I said that planets are stronger on a cusp than in the middle of a house? If I take apart the tri-wheel above, transiting Neptune is conjunct the progressed moon and progressed north node on the cusp of the progressed 5th house. Do you see that?

* Transiting Pluto (power, odds, transformation) conjuncts progressed Chiron

* Transiting Uranus (sudden, unexpected, exciting) trine progressed Transpluto. Natal Transpluto is in the same place, but since the natal chart is not included in this illustration, you can't see it.

*Transiting Jupiter trines progressed Venus.  

Trines between Jupiter (bigger, better, more) and Venus (love, money, happiness) are classic winning aspects.

* Transiting Mars (action, effort) in the 5th house makes a trine to progressed Uranus (sudden, unexpected, exciting)

* Transiting Transpluto conjunct progressed 
South Node (earned credit)

* Transiting Venus (love, money, happiness) and transiting moon's nodes oppose and square natal Pluto, forming a Grand Cross in fixed signs. This is not generally a favorable influence. Venus will complete the aspect in about two days. I'm not sure, but my best guess is that this would be the time to stop gambling before her luck runs out.


SOLAR ARC DIRECTIONS

Solar arc directions are another way of progressing the chart. The planets don't change their relationship to each other this way; everything moves at the same rate, which is the rate that she sun moves in 24 hours. There is no point in looking at this chart without the natal chart along with it. Here we look for aspects that the directed ascendant and midheaven might make to natal planets or angles, and aspects directed planets make to natal planets or angles.

Here, the directed ascendant at 3 degrees Scorpio sextiles the natal sun at 3 degrees Capricorn, which is mildly favorable, but not that much to write home about. The directed south node also sextiles the sun, while the directed north node trines it. It is always favorable to have the nodes in an easy aspect to planets, rather than challenging aspects like squares.

The directed moon is leaving the 5th house, and sits on a cusp.  

The main attraction here is that directed Saturn, ruler of the natal 5th house of the risks and pleasures of life, as well as the lord of her natal Capricorn sun, is conjunct her natal Mercury, ruler of her ascendant, 2nd house of money, and intercepted midheaven - a coming together of energies.

AGE HARMONIC CHART FOR THE WIN
 
I want to show you one more:

This is a harmonic chart for the win. What is most important is the closest aspect; the rest are small details. What is the closest aspect here? It's Jupiter (bigger, better, more) conjunct the IC. Jupiter is the ruler of the 2nd house of money.

This is the only chart using the Porphyry system. All others are Placidus. 

Student Night

If I had the money (and if I thought it had a snowball's chance of working in Memphis), I would open an office and astrology school in midtown. I would teach two classes a week - one for beginners, and one for intermediate to advanced students - and those who reached a certain level would become eligible to give readings on "Student Night."

Student Night would be an opportunity for the public to have their chart read by students at a significantly reduced fee, so that a person might be able to afford six or seven brief readings in one night. And in a perfect world, there would be enough qualified students to participate. Every seasoned astrologer has a favorite method s/he prefers, so there would be a nice variety from which to choose. Some would get a nice break, some would get practice and make a few bucks, and it would raise awareness of astrology. Win-win-win all the way around.

The chart below is of a woman who would probably be a good repeat customer on Student Night. She has provided her data, her gender, and her location (now redacted at her request). I'm waiting to hear back from her about what she specifically needs to know. She touched on finances, a grown child who has special medical needs, and where to go from here. She writes like a person who is in transition, whose ends have unraveled and she's waiting to see what the next part of her life will be about. But that's just my take. She said she would write again with her questions. She also mentioned that she invented something for which she acquired a patent that she recently sold.

For chart verification, we have two dates: Her mother passed away in December 2010, and she moved a long distance from the place she had been living in April, 2008.

So if any practitioners would like to try their hand at this chart leave short notes in comments, and get in touch with me for anything too long for comments, and I'll post it for you right here.

Her current location is in Florida.

I'll be adding more charts later, and I'll be posting my analysis in a few days, until then, happy studying and thanks for your input.

The following reading was kindly given by Margaret Fowler of Holly Springs, MS. She likes to work with asteroids, which I do not, so I appreciate her input (and I am adding the pictures for her) :

Okay, here's what I'm seeing. (I'm getting to the Chiron point, I swear LOL!) You see the house placements where her intercepted signs are located? That's her parental axis. The intercepted signs are communication/thinking. That Fixed signs are on the cusps of houses 4 and 10 tell me that there were very, very rigid rules to the point where she was pretty much programmed into having their opinions and not given a long enough "mental leash" to think for herself. What I'm seeing are parents that were narrow minded and dogmatic - wouldn't tolerate differing views because they saw their own views in black and white. The "my opinions and thoughts are good; differing thoughts/opinions are evil," and so they programmed her into seeing it this way.

I'm also thinking that had she voiced an alternate opinion there was retribution, not necessarily physical abuse but made to feel embarrassed and awkward often enough to mark her in her adult life, where if she tried to communicate something she would either get tongue tied in the middle of explaining (thanks to her upbringing) or lose her train of thought simply because she feels put on the spot and expects to be judged and ridiculed for speaking out. That her ruling planet is Mercury, also ruler of her intercepted sign in the 10th is in detriment Sagittarius in the 4th house, intercepted, is another indicator. This is her ruling planet AND co-ruler of her 10th! AND it rules 2nd house, how she values herself!

Now Chiron...to me this is a second indicator of her childhood issues.

Chiron in Capricorn, the natural ruler of the 10th house, in her 5th house, conjunct Sun.

First, that it's in Capricorn, so she went one of two different extremes:

Either she has Anal Annie Syndrome, the mentality that there is a place for everything and everything is in its place...

OR...she has rebelled against this mentality, especially likely if part of the rigid rules she was raised by was an OCD neatness. If she has rebelled against it, she will, incredibly, be very good at organizing for other people. However, I'm thinking that because she is Virgo (sign of neatness, order) Rising and that Virgo is a duplicated sign in her chart, she is a rigid neat-freak, organizer in her everyday life.

Now, with Chiron (remember, my theory, based on Chiron in Capricorn, natural ruler of 10th house, where her interception is) conjunct her Sun, ruler of her 12th house, I'm seeing someone who, due to the pressures and restrictions placed on her in her childhood, somewhere along the way, she began to think that there was bound to be that proverbial pot of gold at the end of the rainbow - after the storm.

Due to so much oppression, (and this part is indicated by the majority of her planets - 6 total - being in Succedent Houses) she started looking to the future, expecting greater things out of life in that great, indeterminable someday. Basically, it's a sense of feeling like there "just *has* to be a reason for her childhood and then believing that she has a special purpose in life. In general, feeling like the world owed her something, not in a narcissistic manner, as much as it was a coping mechanism that she never outgrew. (Take it from me, promising yourself the world on a silver platter "someday, when you're all grown up and finally in control of your own life" goes a long, long way in surviving day-to-day oppression while you're resisting the urge to scream with frustration.)

That her Chiron conjunct her 12th house ruler in 5th house, the Sun's natural house, tells me that where all 5th house matters are concerned, she's better at helping others than herself. Need romantic advice? Ask her! Need a baby sitter? If she's available, pick her! She's great with your kid and - BONUS! - your kid will have most likely learned something new by the time you pick him/her up. Going to the casino and need some luck? Bring her along! She will be your "lucky charm.” While you’re hitting the jackpot at that slot machine, she isn't. While she's great with your kids, she has problems with her own. She's great with romantic advice and yet her own love life isn't exactly great, or at least, it took her a while to get there. (After all, Pisces is duplicated on houses 7 and 8, its rulers in houses 2 and 8, so if/when she got a partner, he was an "asset.”)

Capricorn rules her 5th house, its ruler, Saturn is exalted in Libra, 2nd house, conjunct Mars (9th house ruler), which is detriment in Libra, also conjunct Neptune, (7th and 8th house ruler). 2nd house is her money house, with her 9th house ruler (higher education) as midpoint between her house of children and house of marriage rulers. Also important to add the 8th house ruler (partner's income) here. I'm wondering if her patent has something to do with child care? OR at the very least, the idea was inspired by the care that was required for her child. Perhaps her partner's money helped fund her work/research along the way toward that patent.


Now I want to add a couple more things: Do you know what caught my eye the first time I saw her chart? That Nodal Axis sitting right on top of her ASC/Desc line! If we could vote on the *worst* house placement for the North Node, I'd vote for 7th house! My favorite Aunt has this placement (though at least hers doesn't sit right on top of her ASC/DSC line!) and she is going through her second divorce - both men were manipulative, controlling and emotionally draining. Yet, her North Node is in the 7th house!



I say North Node in 7th house sucks because the South Node is your comfort zone; the North Node is where you're supposed to grow. But when the North Node is in the 7th house...well, unless you're a bonafide hermit living in the middle of nowhere, raising your own cattle (meat) and growing your own veggies so that you never-ever-ever have to interact with anyone, guess what? You're going to interact with other people, it's absolutely unavoidable. Having that Nodal Axis right on top of her ASC/Desc line tells me that fate is constantly *shoving* her out there with other people, whether she's ready for it or not. I kind of see this one as being thrown onto the stage in front of a live audience to perform an act after only one rehearsal. If I had this placement, I would miss "ME" so much! I don't see her as having much time to simply "Be, and Be Me All To Myself.” Now, look at her Nodes' dispositors: Neptune (in 2nd house) and Mercury. Mercury AGAIN??! Yup. Intercepted Mercury in house 4. I'm seeing someone who feels like Fate's own marionette. There's what she wants to do vs. what she is forced into doing.

This returns me to her intercepted parental house. Having unresolved issues from childhood will repeat itself in the home and career. I'd recommend she look up Freud’s "Destiny Neurosis,” particularly if she feels like (or in the past has felt like) her life has had a sort of "carousel effect": Same issues, different names. The gist of the "Destiny Neurosis" is that the id, or "inner child" is holding a grudge. Because the id functions on a subconscious level, the "ego" and "superego" is unaware of the id's continual antics - it never forgives, never forgets. The id is constantly creating situations similar to its past trauma, motivated by a hunger to fix it or correct it "this time around.” Problem is, the id isn't good at logic/reason, that's the job of the ego and super-ego. Without the two "inner grown-ups" even being aware of what the id has done, yet again, they are left scratching their heads and going, WTF??! when that proverbial carousel returns.

You know what I'm curious about? I'd love to know when her ASC progressed into Sagittarius. It would have been the first time her intercepted sign would have hit an angle and said "This is me, NOW!" She certainly would have been a fully-grown adult, free to, at the very least, explore her true self, particularly that part of her that was blocked in childhood. I wonder if that (approximate) 30 years Sagittarius was her progressed ASC, did she gain any new insights into herself? Did she reach any major epiphanies? (L. Valentine’s note: this doesn’t happen until 2050, but the thought is a good one.)

I'm really seeing someone who had to hide her "true self" in her childhood, or even went as far as having NO sense of self for a very long time due to her childhood conditioning. Also, interesting how Virgo is duplicated on her 1st and 2nd houses. This, to me, makes me think of someone who has used material possessions to define herself, particularly in the years she didn't know herself, or was attempting to know herself. Virgo is the sign of criticism, and with it ruling her 2nd house, I'm seeing her not having a very high self-esteem. Retail therapy might have been a means of filling in the void of what she felt was lacking within.

I'd like to thank Margaret Fowler for her input. If anyone would like to contact her, she requests private messages through Facebook. I haven't checked to see if there's more than one person by that name. If so, she's the one in Holly Springs, MS. 

If anyone else would like to be "Student for a Night" please get in touch with me. There's contact info in the upper right sidebar, and you can always write in the comments. I'll be back soon with my own reading, which is quite different.

Because I have so many charts to post, I have decided to begin a new blog post. I will come back and leave a  link to it here:  MOSTLY MONEY

 

How To Look at the Future

I have had the hardest time trying to finish these charts. I tend to scan ahead in the ephemeris, looking for the eventual outcome, and I stop to cast a few charts along the way because something caught my eye. I think "This chart could be ...! And this one could be...!" and "Oh, no. That's too bad." Then I find something that's interesting in a different way so then I'm off casting charts of family members to see how it looks for them. When I find the same event in all the charts, then I know there's something that needs to be zeroed in on. And then I'm off to see how long and how far a planet in stationary or retrograde motion will affect it, and if any planets have been strengthened or debilitated or moved in or out of mutual reception. And on and on and on for each person who is in the equation for whom I have birth data. And then it's hard for me to switch from psychological analysis and tracing the evolutionary path of the soul over to prediction work. I need to turn my internal editor ON and my curiosity OFF when I'm working with client's charts.

I've been working on the chart of a young man whose birth data is

November 14, 1994
9:58 A.M. CST
Memphis, TN

The chart is cast in the
Geocentric
Tropical
Placidus method with a True Node. For now. In a few minutes, I'm going to switch to a different house method.

The Natal Chart

It is delineated here.

This chart illustrates that natal Mars is in bold, brash and proud Leo where it is easily flattered, compelled to create, and driven to contribute something important to humanity. Don't underestimate this desire.

Interestingly, it's in the Aries duad of Leo, and Aries is the sign on the I.C. (4th house cusp), the house of endings. A house that Mars rules. I am noticing a lot of Mars / Moon, Aries / Cancer, and 4th house / 8th house themes here. 

We know that he recently left his mother's home to live with his father under the transiting Neptune conjunction to his natal Saturn in Pisces, a combination defined as "involuntary detachment" by Reinhold Ebertin, and a "killer fog" in general. We also know that his natal Neptune and his natal Saturn are in Mutual Reception, but are semi-square to each other, so not that helpful.

In addition, recall that Mars is the handle of the bucket planetary pattern. It's a VIP planet, driven to act. To a Leo Mars, it's important to leave your mark on the world. Something memorable. Creative. With panache. On the other hand, with Mars in the 8th house, the subconscious desire is to leave something profound, something deeply meaningful. Here's a Short List of 8th house themes:

Here's the 8th House Short List:

death, dying, funerals, wills, inheritance, estates, taxes

restoration, resurrection, renewal, reincarnation, recycling

rape, kidnapping, crime, seduction

sex, Tantra, magic, Wicca, Paganism

money of business partnership or marriage, community property

insurance, tax, 401K, social security, pensions, food stamps, public assistance

stocks, bonds, treasuries

surgery

THE GREAT AND POWERFUL OZ

Our young, brash, impatient and hot-tempered Mars in Leo upstart has been locked in a battle of wills his whole life.

The Great and Powerful Oz is what I call the Jupiter (great) / Pluto (powerful) conjunction (Oz) in Scorpio, which shows success beyond our wildest dreams in the exact same type of matters as in the 8th house short list. Scorpio is the sign of extremes, sinner or saint. It goes big or it goes home. The showy Mars energy has now progressed to a square to the Great and Powerful Oz. He's ready to take on what might be the battle of his life, the showdown he has waited for from his birth. The progressed Mars is one degree from the exact square to The Wizard in the progressed chart. That would definitely qualify as a big and profound legacy. That would leave a very big mark.

 MARS SQUARE THE SUN 

An even closer natal square is the one between the narcissistic Mars (sorry, there's no way around that description) and the natal sun in the often suspicious, vengeful sign of Scorpio. The sun is in the Cancer duad, so it's highly receptive to suggestion, but there's a double dose of tenacious possessiveness, too.

The sun rules the 8th house. The fire is set. Our guy has some very important decisions to make about which way he's going to go.

Mars is placed in the 8th (sex, death, and surgery).  That is the stage for this play.

Mars rules the 4th (home, mother, family, roots, beginnings, one of the houses of endings), so one or more of those areas of life will play a role in the events.    

It also co-rules the 11th house (friends, associations, groups), so others will play a role in events.

 Pause. Think. Absorb.


Mars squares (challenges, goads) the sun (ego, identity, inner life, life force) to act. It's a physical planet in the cardinal fire duad of Leo, which is, itself, a fire sign.

Think of the square aspect as an action verb that joins them, and not happily, but more like two people who are handcuffed together. They're going to have to cooperate with each other, but it won't be fun.

The sun is also an acting planet, but it's in Scorpio. It doesn't go off half-cocked like Mars. It creatively strategizes, prepares, and then acts, all in good time.

This square, when activated by transits, progressions, directions, returns, or just about anything, could be a threat to life or limb, or just very high blood pressure. It's an innate aspect, irritated and hot under the collar. The sun rules the 8th (sex, death, and surgery), so matters of the 8th house play a role when this square is activated. Anger (Mars) and ego (the sun) could force an ending or injury.

It also squares Jupiter (Great) and Pluto (Powerful) Oz in the 11th house. Someday our guy’s guest list could read like a power list of Who's Who. Tied to the 12th house, many of those friends might be of the secret, clandestine variety. It almost suggests subversive or secret service / secret society type of friends. 

MARS QUINCUNX THE NATAL NEPTUNE

In addition to the other natal Mars aspects, there's also Mars quincunx the natal Neptune, which is in the 1st house (personality, first impressions, the image we project). Don't forget it's in mutual reception with Saturn in Pisces.

Remember keywords like "involuntary detachment" and "killer fog.” There may spiritual or martyr tendencies, self-pity, and the karmic need for lessons in compassion and service. Our guy has recently detached from his home, and all the things he has known as his sanctuary and place of security. Neptune has dissolved all his foundations and structures. His environment has completely changed. He may also have changed his appearance to one he feels is more in line with his 1st house Neptune image. 

At the new moon in the progressed chart in February, he performed a Plutonian / Scorpionic / 8th house / phoenix action: he chucked it all and started over. Neptune pushes us out of our safe harbors and casts us adrift on a sea of confusion, desperation and self-doubt. Or is it faith?

The quincunx aspect requires big adjustments and compromises between the planets and houses involved. It's extremely important under Neptune aspects, and especially while Neptune is the ruler of the 3rd house of transportation, communication and the rational mind, to keep a grip on the handle of truth. Muddled minds during certain activities could lead to serious accidents, errors in judgment, and pitfalls. Exaggeration, deceit, gullibility and fantasy are serious possibilities whenever Neptune has control of the mind. Neptune contributes to the blurring of fantasy and reality. This is a great aspect to have if you are an artist, musician, songwriter, novelist, or psychic. Or if you work in an artistic, creative, healing or charitable occupation. Otherwise, you may merely be confused, stoned, or coming down with dementia or psychosis.

As a matter of fact, I can see how his chart might indicate talent as an ink artist. Libra, sign of art and beauty is on the midheaven, representing the career, and its ruler, Venus (beauty, decoration, adornment) is in Scorpio (tattoos), and is placed in the midheaven. It also rules the 5th house of creativity (hobbies, entertainment). Neptune (art) and Saturn (business) are in mutual reception, and involve both the ascendant (body, image, first impression) and the 2nd house of income by Pisces effort, such as art, music, acting, glamour, intuition, psychic / spiritual or healing arts. I'll leave you follow the other vocational indicators on your own.

Mars and Neptune aspects always make me wonder if there’s something unseen there, something purposely hidden (possibly in plain sight) Notice that Mars is conjunct the Vertex, a date with destiny over which we have no control. Mars could describe someone (male), or a situation (violent) that alters this young man's destiny forever.

Additionally, Neptune  and the ascendant are conjunct in the progressed chart. This  indicates that our guy may be unrealistic about his goals, ambitions, and actual abilities. 
 
Finally, there is about to be a lot said here regarding all the Mars / Moon / 4th house /domestic matters / family matters / endings/ in these upcoming charts. So don't forget that the natal moon is in Aries. It's a firecracker moon, snappish, tightly wound to go off, temperamental.

APRIL 2013 LUNAR ECLIPSE TO THE NATAL CHART

Here is the chart for the lunar eclipse earlier today (April 25, 2013) and probably the reason I have not been able to make progress on these charts. This is, of course, a transit chart around the natal.

The eclipse falls in the 10th house of career, reputation, status, or direction. It signals a turning point in life. This is when our guy comes to the attention of the public in some way. He stands out from a crowd. It's beneficial that the eclipse trines his natal Saturn, the ruler of his ascendant. He is recognized or noticed, for good or ill. He has a change of status.

The eclipse falls on his Mercury / Venus conjunction in the 10th. That's usually a sign of good news, pleasant conversations, and social occasions. Mercury and Venus together often point to the presence of a young female or a sister.

One time, many years ago, a client came to me and said that she'd been invited to a party, and she wondered if she and her husband should attend. I saw the Mercury / Venus conjunction activated in her chart, and furthermore, Venus was the ruler of the 5th house of children, creativity, and entertainment. The house of parties. She said it was a faculty fundraiser or some such, and yes, I could see the business ties. I told her that she should go.

At her next appointment, I asked how she had liked the party. She said they went, but they didn't have a good time. The music wasn't suitable for dancing, and the whole thing was a snooze. However, her husband made an important business contact, so it wasn't a total waste of time.

It was a perfect example of fate verses free will. The stars showed her attending the party. Whether or not she had a good time was up to her.

Now here is the next interesting thing about this chart: the eclipse point conjunct natal Venus in the 10th is opposed by the transiting Mars and sun in the 4th house of home, mom, and domestic matters. This is one of the houses of endings, remember? 

*Mars is in the 4th house, and rules the 4th house,

*Mars is conjunct the sun, the ruler of the 8th house

In this chart, they are making a trine aspect to the ascendant, and help our guy to express himself with enthusiasm.

TRANSITING VENUS CONJUNCT THE SOUTH NODE

 
The nodes are in a separating square with our guy's Mars, so close that here is another of those things I go back and research: when were the transiting nodes in exact square to his volatile Mars?

In February, when I can only assume there was some kind of blow-up that resulted in his leaving home. Mars in the 8th house (*the 4th house of endings from the 4th house of home), ruling the 4th house of - you guessed it - home.

What is the best predictor of future behavior?

Past behavior.

That incident, whatever it was, is a sample of what will be coming in May. 

Still in the same chart, natal Venus, activated by the lunar eclipse, is the ruler of (Libra) the sign on the midheaven (status) and the 5th house of parties (children, creativity, celebrations, romances).

Transiting Venus, however, is in the opposite house and conjunct the natal south node. To cover every little psychological nuance of a chart is too time-consuming and space-eating for a blog post. But, there is the south node, marking it as a timing indicator when matters connected to Venus and families will predominate. And there it is, marking a person, a female, as someone who will figure highly in his life.

Mercury, also in the 10th (status) rules the 6th (health, nutrition, job, service, duty, routine)

and the 9th (higher mind, continuing education, beliefs).

These houses make some interesting equations when looked at by a method called stepping, but I won't go into that now, except to say it is the method of looking at houses where the first house is some other house, and the counting begins from there.

The reason I know this is a significant event is because the moon's nodes are finishing their 18.6 year-cycle and returning to their natal place. They are the alarm clock set to go off for this particular event. They show karmic ties to it, and they are connected to family.

The next likely time when there may be a significant event in the life is at the solar eclipse on May 9, 2013. Below is a wheel with the eclipse around the natal chart.

MAY 2013 SOLAR ECLIPSE TO THE NATAL CHART

This is so cut and dried. There's the eclipse at 19 Taurus 31, right on the cusp of the 5th house. Let's review the meaning of the 5th house:

children of the body or the imagination

creativity

pleasures, risks,  gambles

"romance," recreational sex, affairs

hobbies, sports, entertainment, recreation, vacations, parties 

small animals treated as children and family members

So it activates the 5th house and at the same time, it squares Mars and opposes the sun, those same two rulers of the 4th and 8th houses of homes, families, and endings.

Simultaneously, Mars, who's pretty upset due to the square from the eclipse, is transiting near the bottom of the chart in conjunction with the south node. There's the indicator that it's:

time, as in "there is a time for all things..."

karmic

malefic

all the above

in the 4th house  (mom, home, domestic matters, the end of a matter).

I also don't like the connotation of the Vertex being conjunct the descendant.

The thing about eclipses is that they tend to either set big things in motion, or abruptly end others. 

Let' recap:

I am almost certain that if we ask this young man's mother if there was a blow-up when he left home, that she would confirm it. That would be when the moon's nodes squared his Mars.

Also, recall the progressed new moon of new beginnings and turning points,

and transiting Uranus (sudden change),

crossing

the natal moon (home, mom, domestic matters).

Then, on May 9th, the solar eclipse will square his natal Mars and oppose his natal sun; the same rulers of the same houses with the same effect, and the same players. So beware of sudden outbursts and confrontations.

Now that the eclipse has lit up Mars and gotten him all ticked off, notice that in about a week, the transiting Mars will square the natal Mars, and that's good chance for all hell to break loose.  See the chart below:

MAY 17, 2013 TRANSITING MARS SQUARE NATAL MARS

Any time a planet opposes or squares it's own natal position, it's not a happy planet. And Mars is one of the most unhappy planets of all when he's angry. This is often symbolic of two men in a contest of wills. It is a matter of pride, and the natal Mars in Leo has plenty of that. He draws a line in the sand and dares anyone to cross it. Now he has to defend it. The same houses are activated that we see over and over: the 4th and 8th.

Frankly, I find this a little frightening in the chart of someone who is under a Neptune spell and has trouble distinguishing reality from fantasy, as well as being under the influence of rebellious and unpredictable Uranus. Add the emotionally angry and hot-tempered moon in Aries as a trigger, and that could be a recipe for disaster.

SECONDARY PROGRESSIONS

Above is the Secondary Progressed chart for this year of our guy's life. You can see the timing by looking at the progressed moon, which is three degrees past the progressed sun. We know that the conjunction was exact in February, when he left home. Therefore, this chart is set for three months later: May 2013, when the transiting Mars squares the natal Mars.
.

PROGRESSED MOON CONJUNCT PROGRESSED SUN

The timing for this is impeccable. Charts like this give confidence that we're working with an accurate birth time. In Secondary Progressions, it is the moon that is the most important timer. Three months ago in this chart, the progressed moon was conjunct the progressed sun, indicating new beginnings and fresh starts. It took place in Sagittarius, the sign of expansion and adventure, and in the 11th house of friends, groups and associations. I'm not sure what role his friends may have played in his bid for freedom. The 11th house has a few other meanings, but it's commonly known as "friends and associates." Both the sun and moon rule the 7th house in this chart.

The moon rules Cancer, the sign on the cusp of the 7th house, and the sun rules Leo, of which the entire sign is intercepted in the 7th house. It's a pretty good bet that some kind of partnership was formed in February.

But then, this is also the 4th house of endings from the 4th house of home and domestic matters. So, a quitting of the current home. In that case, the progressed new moon in the 11th house may show the fulfillment of a wish, because the 11th house of friends is also the house of hopes, wishes, and aspirations. Because the 11th is the natural home of Uranus, it can also show accidents, changing fortunes, and sudden, unexpected events like little tornadoes in the life.

THE PROGRESSED MIDHEAVEN CONJUNCT NATAL NORTH NODE 

The progressed midheaven and IC (4th house), have progressed to a conjunction of the natal moon’s nodes, marking the time for a major event that affects both the path traveled in life, and his home and family life. To have an angle progress to a conjunction of the North node is considered a beneficent, fortunate balance of karma. It sheds favorable light on the reputation. Time for a change. A turning point.

And there is progressed Mars at 27 Leo. It is just minutes from an exact square to his Jupiter / Pluto conjunction (the Great and Powerful Oz) who likes to do things in a big and powerful way, especially while in the 10th house of public spectacles.

Also in this chart, the progressed ascendant is exactly conjunct the natal Uranus. 

Want to see it again? 

PROGRESSED ASCENDANT CONJUNCT NATAL URANUS

In the progressed chart (this year), the ascendant (the personality and the body) is exactly conjunct (is activating) the natal Uranus. Our guy needs his freedom at all costs, and will rebel and behave unpredictably until he has it. Also, he is accident prone.

It is even more difficult for our guy to declare his independence while Uranus, the co-ruler of his chart, the key to his freedom, is locked up due to interceptions in the first and seventh houses. The other co-ruler, Saturn, (Lord Capricorn, the sign on the ascendant) escaped lock-up by a hair, literally. He is less than one degree into the second house. I’ll bet the door caught him on the ass. Hold that thought through the next paragraph.

Aquarius is intercepted in the first house. Leo is intercepted in the 7th house. That means that all the planets contained in those houses are going to be frustrated in their efforts to express themselves. Uranus is one. Mars is the other. I’m sure it’s not by accident that these are the two planets that most freak out while imprisoned! They’ll go buggy. They’ll climb the walls. Picture a claustrophobic trapped on an elevator. And then recall that Saturn, who would not have minded being intercepted that much, escaped it by only a hair. That is meaningful.

Uranus is bucking to go; he's at the gate (the ascendant), but can’t get out. To him, it feels like crashing against a door that won't open. The closer to the ascendant Uranus stays, the more rebellious (and accident prone) he will remain. Doing the only thing Uranus can do, he forced the gate open and instigated the separation. Had he waited for the interception to pass, the gate would have opened "magically" and he could have saved himself a lot of energy.



But nodes, keys to timing and karmic lessons say, "A turning point is here. Ready or not." And then the gears in our karmic records switch based on our choices. And the switch of that gear begins a new set of instructions and a new set of gears. But they are all confined to the parts and housing we have available, the natal chart. That is the blueprint and master plan.

NEPTUNE CONJUNCT THE ASCENDANT

Officially, the conjunction of the progressed ascendant to Neptune is over, but Neptune is still hovering around in the wings, waiting for another chance to mystify things for our guy just in case they get too clear. The planet of illusion, delusion, deception and confusion can keep him from having a clear identity, or from knowing who he is. It is a sign of glamour and fantasy, and yes, art, and it's having a profound influence on his image and personality. It can produce Pisces dis-eases in the body. Neptune is the planet of our addictions.

Just about everyone knows Marilyn Monroe had Neptune rising in her chart. She still represents the epitome of glamour, illusion, delusion, deception, confusion and addiction. She was a "candle in the wind."

Neptune is the same reason so many musicians are either alcoholics or druggies, long before the era of rock stars perfected addiction. Many Neptune types practice Eastern religions like Buddhism (Richard Gere, actor and pianist), Hinduism (George Harrison) and Islam (Cat Stevens). Neptune contributes to spiritual / pacifist personalities. Our guy has been trying on different identities, looking for the one that feels right. In the meantime, he may seem shifty, elusive, hard to pin down, confused and dishonest. He may be unrealistic about his goals, ambitions, and actual abilities.

MARS CONJUNCT THE VERTEX

The next thing to see in this chart is that the progressed Mars is exactly conjunct the progressed Vertex, a date with destiny that's beyond his control. This might represent a male who displays undue influence over our young man. It might be a situation that could be described as angry, violent or competitive that ensnares our guy like an innocent bystander in the wrong place at the wrong time. It could be emergency surgery. The vertex is a wild card, so we don’t know.

Natal Jupiter may be out of reach of the wrath of Mars for now, but the progressed Jupiter is still very much within orb of a square from the progressed Mars and Vertex. Mars and Jupiter conflicts usually mean trouble with the law.

Mars = enforcement

Jupiter = laws

Vertex = a date with destiny

That's a handy little thing to know about your own chart if you have a lead foot.

SECONDARY PROGRESSIONS TO THE NATAL CHART

The Secondary Progressed chart can be read alone, as just done, but it also needs to be read around the natal chart. In secondary progressions, the outer planets never move more than a degree or two from their natal place, so unless something special is happening with them like returning to their exact degree by a directional change of motion, or completing an exact aspect with another planet or angle, then they are largely ignored.

PROGRESSED ASCENDANT CONJUNCT NATAL URANUS

Rebellious, disruptive, freedom-or-die Uranus is conjunct the ascendant, guaranteeing the new start would be more of a sudden break than a smooth transition. The ascendant represents the body on the physical plane, or in other words: "You. Here. Now." The intensifying and compulsive need for independence becomes "acting out." This is the proverbial Rebel Without a Cause, because any and every cause will do. It is true that most teens go through a rebellious phase, but those with a prominently placed natal Uranus, or one involved in stressful transits, progressions, directions, etc., bear the brunt of it. A keyword here is "sudden change." Our young man might suddenly begin to change his physical appearance, and a tattoo is sure to follow. Neptune (the collective unconscious, art) hovers at the ascendant (body, image, first impression).

Uranus is the ruler of the natal second house of money. Lack of green stuff can seriously curtail freedom.


PROGRESSED MARS SQUARE NATAL PLUTO

Now, I don't know, maybe I'm splitting hairs, but I don't want to miss something that might turn out to be important. Progressed Jupiter is almost a full degree past the conjunction to natal Pluto, and therefore, it's not really part of a "Mars square the Great and Powerful Oz" scenario in the progressed chart. We do know, however, that when placed around the natal chart, progressed Mars is exactly square to natal Pluto, and remember this is on a day when transiting Mars exactly squares natal Mars.

Mars makes war. He's aggressive, invasive, incendiary. He's impatient, angry and physical. He wants to knock you out. Mars is in Leo, so his ego is the hair trigger to some explosive energies. This is most likely around May 17, when hot heads and big egos will be ready to explode.

Notice that the progressed vertex is now in exact conjunction with progressed Mars, showing a date with destiny, one that will probably blast a few craters into the landscape of life. This could also show a connection with a male whose influence or actions will change our guy's destiny.

Pluto is both in and rules the 11th house, the backdrop for a  power struggle and confrontation with a friend, group or associate.


PROGRESSED MERCURY SQUARE NATAL SATURN

This chart also makes it obvious that progressed Mercury (communication, transportation, siblings) is square to natal Saturn, Lord Capricorn of the Ascendant, the ruler of the entire chart. This is not favorable. Mercury is in its detriment in Sagittarius, and might say anything! It's as if the filter between the brain and the tongue has been removed. A planet in detriment acts out, like a child in the store who wants something he can't have. In this case, the planet being aspected is Saturn in Pisces who thinks of himself as a victim. This could mean things like acting out, speaking with heavy sarcasm, and making plans that have no realistic chance of working out. This is also the young trickster Mercury, the planet of transportation, goading Lord Capricorn, who can seriously hurt him and restrict his mobility.

This is a brutal year for our guy.

 The Moons Nodes

The Moon's Nodes are superb milestone indicators. They are always prominent in event charts. They are helpful in keeping perspective about other transits as well, because if the Nodes are not clearly activating the chart, then any drama or event that occurs will amount to less in the long run (this, too, shall pass). The moon's nodes mark turning points that involve the planets or angles with which they are in aspect.

THE NORTH NODE OF THE MOON

In the case of our guy, the turning point involves making his way in the world (north node conjunct the midheaven / reputation, direction in life) verses the necessity to pay more attention to home and domestic matters (IC), which are shaky right now. It is usually the south node that shows where the separation will occur. In this case, the south node was conjunct the 4th house of home, family, domestic matters, and endings.

The nodes seem to be connected to family events, and that could certainly be said of our guy's current circumstances. The north node represents the karmic leap from the precipice into the unknown future, and that's always frightening. The north node is like a beacon that teaches us that we don't have to be able to see the end of the road in order to go forward on it. It illuminates the first few steps, and we need only to keep putting one foot in front of the other. In this chart, the north node is illuminating the future path for our guy.

The nodes (and karma) can be compared to a Newton's Cradle:

Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

THE SOUTH NODE OF THE MOON

The south node represents our past. This is our comfort zone. There's no leaping off tall buildings in a single bound here. This is a snuggle down in the big chair, wearing our comfies and slippers, armed with the remote, movie, popcorn, and something to drink. In this case, particularly with the south node in the Venus-ruled pleasant sign of Taurus, why get up? We have everything we need right here. The South node is where we sit on the sidelines, being an armchair quarterback, never testing the boundaries or pushing the envelope. It is where we stagnate and become couch potatoes in the game of life. We can't move forward in life nor in our evolutionary growth from the big chair. 

The south node is also where the past catches up with us and we can't get out of paying our karmic debts.

Newton's Third Law of Motion: 

Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

So these are the things shown in our guy's progressed chart for the year:

# A new beginning

# A  compelling urge for freedom and independence

# A difficult parting and involuntarily detachment

# The reaching of a karmic milestone and a turning point in life that involves family ties

# Search for identity, or something elusive, mystical, musical or make-believe about the personality

# Susceptible to addictions and gullible to scams



The Secondary Progressed chart can be read alone, as just done, but it also needs to be read around the natal chart

TRANSITS TO THE SECONDARY PROGRESSED

Above is a chart with the transits of May 17, 2013 around the secondary progressions. The date was chosen because it is the day when transiting Mars squares, and the transiting moon conjuncts, natal Mars.

The first thing to note is the  transiting north node conjunct the progressed north node conjunct the progressed midheaven. It the same aspect we looked at in the previous chart. It still means that this year, our guy’s status or renown has been activated by the natal north node (a beneficent, fortunate balance of karma). It is a turning point. It sheds favorable light on the reputation.

In this chart you can easily see the transiting Mars at 20 Taurus, the planet responsible for this whole inquiry. It is separating from a square to Ceres, the goddess of fertility and abundance.

Normally, when an aspect is past, you should let it go, but there are exceptions. In this chart, transiting Saturn is four degrees past a conjunction to the progressed Venus. The partile conjunction was back in November of 2012. But Saturn turned retrograde and came back. It will hook up with Venus again in late June and for most of July. In fact, it will turn stationary direct right on progressed Venus on July 8, when it may "all seem too much to bear."

Saturn conjunctions are notorious for causing depression and feelings of "Nobody loves me so I might as well go out in the yard and eat dirt." It gets blamed for financial troubles, too, because Saturn restricts, and Venus represents love, beauty and money. It can cause significant loneliness and feelings of dejection or outright rejection. But this aspect has rewards, as well. It can bring serious long-term relationships, some of which have a May-December quality to them. They are not fairytale romances with beautiful princes and princesses, but good solid relationships built on common sense, a common purpose, steadfastness, and practicality. I have also seen this aspect reflect a labor of love, and a dedication to craftsmanship, and finally, I have also seen it at times that an honor is bestowed. (Saturn) = respect given + (Venus) = to the favored.

Venus, receiver of the aspect, is in the progressed 9th house, and it rules the 9th as well. As the Lord (or I should say Lady) of Taurus, it rules over the 4th house of home, mom, family, domestic matters, and endings. The 4th is a house that keeps popping up in every chart.

Also important is the transiting Saturn trining the natal Saturn. If only it were that easy. No, this transiting Saturn also trines the transiting Neptune conjunction to Saturn. So far it has been impossible to know if that transit has our guy living in a completely delusional world, or only a partial one. But now, with a trine from the transiting Saturn to assist, it appears that maybe he really can make at least some of his dreams come true. The aspect looks like practice, maybe of a musical instrument? Any thoughts, anyone?

Transiting Saturn + Progressed Venus = working for love or beauty

Trine (easier advancements, flowing with the tide)

Natal Saturn + Transiting Neptune = serious about music (or art?)

I'm not sure exactly what the transiting Saturn trine is supporting, but it makes me less uneasy about the trend that these charts have been taking. This is a complex chart, though, and we're not done.

The transiting Vertex is only two minutes from an exact conjunction to the natal sun. We know that the Vertex is a fated date with destiny, but not in what way. To have it conjunct the sun is a fairly unusual event, I think. But that's not all. Transiting Venus opposes them from the cusp of the 5th house. I don't think that's the complete picture, though. Transiting Mercury is opposed to its own place.

That can mean so many things.

the need to be with others

regretful communication

verbal sparring

impulsive decision making

transportation problems

Let's look at the houses to narrow it down. The progressed Mercury is in the 10th house, the midheaven. That's the career, reputation, and status in life. As the ruler of Gemini, it is the Lord of the 5th (children, creativity, entertainment) 6th (work, duty, service, obligations, pets) and as the ruler of Virgo, it's Lord of the 8th house (death, sex, surgery). The transiting Mercury opposes its own place. That may not be life threatening, but it's certainly not a good day. Combined with Neptune clouding the judgment of Saturn, and the unpredictable behavior of Uranus at the progressed ascendant, which is as accident prone as Uranus conjunct the 3rd house cusp (as it is in these transits to the progressed chart). With all the active afflictions to Mars, it’s a good day to be careful and cautious in all things.   

This post was getting a little long, so I've decided to make a separate one for the Harmonic charts we're going to look at. HERE is a link to that.
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